Fire-escape



(No Model.)

R. HOWELL. FIRE ESGAPB.

No. 487,569. Patented D60. 6-. 1892.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD HOWELL, OF TROY HILLS, NEW JERSEY.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,569, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed July 9, 1892. Serial No. 439,506. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy Hills, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make, and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes, and refers particularly to a stationary fire -escape to be located near the window for lowering persons from a building in case of fire.

The main object of my invention is the provision of a simple, durable, and inexpensive fire-escape which can be easily applied and which will be under perfect control of the operator or user in order that it may be safe and reliable in operation.

To attain the desired objects the invention consists of a fire-escape embodying novel features of construction and arrangement of parts for service, as will be understood from the description and drawings, in which- Figurel representsaperspective view of my improved fire-escape, and Fig. 2 represents a detail view of a part thereof.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, 1 designates a base, stand, or platform, which is suitably secured and supported near a window, and rising from the base are the standards or supports2 and the smaller standards or supports 3. In the standards2 is mounted a shaft 4, carrying the drum 5, on which the ladder 6 is wound, and said ladder passes over the small guide-drum 7 through an opening in the base and has a weight 8 secured at its free end to assist in lowering the ladder. when desired. From this construction it will be seen that the ladder, which is made of chain with iron-pipe rounds or rungs, is wound upon the large drum and passes over the guide-drum, descending through the base, and to control the descent of the ladderI provide anovel construction of brake, which consists of the spring 9 and lever 10, connected to spring and engaging the shaft 4:, which lever is guided by the post 11 and has the latch 12 connected to its free end and operated by the trip-cord 13 in the hands of the person using the tire-escape. I further provide the weight 14, which rests on the lever and is moved thereon by the rod 15, having teeth or cogs 16, which are engaged by a lug 17 on the shaft 4, and this serves to move the weight toward the free end of the lever and increases the bearing or friction of the lever against the shaft 4, and consequently acts to check or control the rotation of the drum-and the descent of the ladder.

I claim- 1. In a fire-escape, the combination of a base, a drum mounted thereon, a ladder carried by the drum, a lug on the shaft of the drum, and a lever having means for engaging said lug on the shaft of the drum to control the rotation thereof, for the purpose described.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination of a base, a drum carrying a ladder, mounted thereon, a drum for guiding the ladder, a lug on the shaft of the drum, a toothed rod for engaging the lug, a friction-lever brake engaging the drum carrying the ladder, and a cord connected to the lever-brake, for the purpose described.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination of a base, a drum mounted thereon, a ladder carried by the drum, a lever engaging the drumshaft, a lug on the shaft, a toothed rod for engaging the lug, a spring connected to said lever, a latch carried by the lever, and a cord for tripping the latch, for the purpose described.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination of the base, the drum carrying the ladder, the lever bearing against the drum-shaft, the spring connected to the lever, the latch, the cord for tripping the latch, the weight on the lever, the toothed rod connected to the weight, and the lug on the drum-shaft, engaging the toothed rod, all for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD HOWELL.

Witnesses:

A. L. COBB, M. B. KIMBALL. 

